Inflatable leg wrap



y 13, 1965 D. A. SCHUBERT 3,

INFLATABLE LEG WRAP Filed Nov. 4, 1963 INVENTOR.

A TTOR/VEVJ United States Patent 3,193,984 INFLATABLE LEG WRAP Donald A. Schubert, 420 E. Frank, Birmingham, Mich. Filed Nov. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 321,102 11 Qlairns. (Cl. E i-32 This application relates to leg wraps and more particularly to a device for wrapping and supporting a load bearing limb of an animal.

Many animals, because of their structure and build, develop difliculties with tendons, muscles and the like in their legs due to normal exertion. A horse, for example, has a weight of generally 1,800 pounds, most of this weight being located in the body, neck, and head, and supported by four relatively thin or spindly legs. When the horse is in motion, the tremendous weight of the body, neck, and head, relative to the legs, is transmitted through these small legs to the ground with a great amount of force. A horses front leg is composed of a number of bones extending between the scapula, or shoulder blade, to the coffin bone, or hoof, the bone structure being such as to provide two distinct joints, one at the carpal bones, or knee, and the other at the pastern bones or fetlock. These bones are supported and connected by a series of tendons connected to the bones by tissue. The rear, or hind, leg of the horse is similarly composed of a series of bones running between the pelvis and the collin bone, or hoof, with the intermediate tarsal bones forming a hock joint and the pastern bones forming a fetlock, or ankle joint. These bones as well are supported and connected by a series of tendons connected to the various bones by body tissue.

During the normal motion of the animal in exercising by walking or running, the tissue connecting the tendons tends to break or separate from the associated bone structure. Such tissue breaks result in the release of body fluids which collect in the leg around the tissue break and cause swelling and lameness. This is a common occurrence in such animals, and such tissue breaks heal slowly even if exercise stops. However, there remains the accumulation of body fluids which take time to be absorbed or otherwise disposed of.

Such static micro-traumatic injuries due to daily wear, tear, abuse and brutalization are to be carefully distinguished from physiological problems and from injuries due to sprains or bruises resulting from objects striking the legs or joints of the animal. These trauma-caused injuries, or structural faults, are in no way similar to physiological disturbances, such as varicose veins or other venous or circulatory system problems that develop in human beings with old age and the like. Furthermore, these are not direct injuries such as might be caused by the animals legs striking some object to cause a bruise or break in the skin, bones or tendons.

Although these problems have been recognized in the past, no suitable solution has become readily available. To support the tendons of the animal, and again referring to horses as an example, it has been common to wrap the legs of the horse with a strip of a suitable material and possibly providing padding or the like for the comfort of the horse. However, such wrapping is extremely cumbersome and difiicult to work with in that it must be wrapped around the horses leg While the horse is in a standing position and the horse is seldom as co-operative as might be desired during the wrapping operation. As a result, the tension in such wrappings is inconsistent, oftentimes being too tight and causing circulatory problems, or being too loose to provide proper protection and support for the tendons and tissue.

The device in which this invention is embodied comprises, generally, an air impervious wrapping of twopiece construction to form an inflatable bag which is used to encircle the animals leg between a point below the fetlock and a point above the knee or hock. Suitable closure means, such as a zipper, are provided at opposite edges to secure the edges and provide a wrapping of substantially frusto-conical configuration which, when inflated through suitable inflation means, applies a pressure against the tendons of the leg and resists the tearing or separating of the connecting tissues. Should such tissue breaks occur, the pressure on the leg resists the release and accumulation of body fluids about such breaks. The wrap is formed of a material which is impervious to air and is held in place on the animals leg by the air pressure within the chamber. In conjunction with such pressure, the normal sweat produced by the animal when exercising will assist in maintaining the wrap in its proper position. I

The use of such a wrap is extremely eflicient and is beneficial to the leg of the animal. It is a simple matter to place the device on the animals leg, merely placing it around the leg and zipping it up. The wrap may easily cover the ankle and knee or hock since it is of flexible form and will not impede or interfere with the normal movement of such joints. The air pressure within the wrap bearing directly on the leg resists the traumatic tearing or separating of the tissue between the tendon and the bone and resists the accumulation of body fluids and resultant swelling of the animals leg.

These and other advantages will become more apparent from the following description and drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is an illustration of a horse with four legs encased by the leg wrapping device.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the leg wrap in its open and uninflated condition.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view of a portion of the leg wrap of FIGURE 2, taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view of another portion of the leg wrap illustrated in FIGURE 2, taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the leg wrap of FIGURE 2 shown in its closed and inflated position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, FIGURE 1 illustrates a horse 10 having the inflatable leg wrap 12, in which the invention is embodied, disposed about each of its four legs. It is to be understood that the leg Wrap is applicable to any animal having load bearing members or limbs and not only to horses. Reference is hereafter made to a horse only for purposes of illustration and description. Other animals have the same traumatic problems, some to a greater or lesser extent than others because of the particular structural make up of the animal. For example, although the legs of a human being may be subject to similar traumatic injuries, such are not as common as would be in equine animals because the legs of a human being are differently proportioned relative to the body size than are the legs of a horse.

In FIGURE 1 the horses front legs are shown to include the ankle joints 14 and knee joints 16 between the body of the animal and the hooves. Similarly, the rear legs include ankle joint 18 and hock joint 29 between the body structure and the hoof. It is the area between a point above the knee 16 or hock 20 and below the ankle 14 or 18 with which the problems are most particularly concerned.

Referring next to FIGURES 2 through 5, the leg wrap device 12 is shown to include first and second plies 22 and 24 which may be formed of any suitable material that suitably secured thereto.

I chamber 28 is sufficient for these purposes.

is impervious to air and is of sufficient flexibility to permit a slight movement in the'normal anatomical planes of the joints'of the animal. It has been found, for example, I

it is preferred that they be formed in the trapezoidal eonfiguration illustrated in FIGURE 2. a

The two'plies 22 and .24 are joined together about the r peripheries by any suitable means such as heat seam Such seam may be formed by applying heat to the plies 22 and 24 of such temperature and for suchduration as to fuse the material together and create a sealed connection. chamber. 28 is provided.

Disposed in one of the plies, as ply 22, is an air inflation device 30.- ,Such device is sealingly secured in the ply 22 and communicates with the central chamber 23 to permit air "inflation of the wrap 12. The air inflation device 30 maybe located at any point on the surface of the ply, so long-as it' communicates with the central chamber 28, and may beof any suitable construction.

For purposes of. illustration and description, the device 7 is shown as being of the type commonly found on inner tubes or the like, although any other wellknown construc: tion may be used.

Along opposite longitudinal edges of the plies 22 and 24 is a closure device, shown in the drawings as a well known zipper device 32. Zipper 32 may be formed in any con-i: venient manner and commonly includes a pair of fabric strips 34 and 36, each having a plurality of teeth'3i3 Slidable on one of the members 36 is a slide 46 which, when properly engaged with both of the members 34 and 36, serves to interlock theteeth 38 and provide a secure fastening along the edges of the wrap 12, Strips 34 and 36 may be secured to the plies 22. and 24 in any suitable manner, as by stitching or sewing 42.

It will be appreciated that other closure means may be provided without departing from the spirit or scope of the' invention. For example, buttons, snaps or any other type of well knownclosure means could easily be attached to the plies 22 or 24- and engageable'with cooperating elements to join the edges of the plies.

' In the use of the leg wrap device, the wrap is easily placed around the leg of the animal and the zipper 32 is actuated to connect the opposite edges thereof. The wrap is then inflated through the air inflation device 36 to a pressure of any suitable value capable of supporting. the tendons and related structure in the leg. It has been found that a pressure of 16 pounds per squareinch in the The Wrap is properly located on the animals leg and, as sliown'in FIGURE, 1, may extend from below the ankles to above the knees or hooks if desired. Inflation of the wrap causes the inner ply to expand, and thus the wrapengages and is retained on the animals leg. During normal exercise" the animal will sweat, the sweat coacting with the wrap to assure positive retention in the properiposition on the animals legs.

from the leg.

Thus, a leg wrap is provided whichis extremely simple to manufacture and operate, It is simply installed on the load bearing limb of the animal and is inflatable to such With the plies '22 and 24 soformed a central Whenthe wraps are no longer needed, the wraps may be easilydeflated and unzipped for removal caused by tissue-breaks or separations is resisted and the resulting swelling or'lameness to the animal is'minimized.

I claim: i I '1. A wrap for a load bearing limb of an animal, said 5 limb having tendons connected to bones by tissue, and

said wrap comprising: V

a firstply of. flexible elastic. air impervious material; a second ply :of flexible elasticair impervious material joined about its periphery to said first ply to provide an elastic air'chamber; air inflation means in one ofsaid plies and communicating with said chamber; and means for connecting opposite edges of said wrap Y around said limb to' hold said. tendons against said bones resist tearing'and separation of said tissues and accumulation of body fluids released thereby.

' 2. The wrap set forth in claim 1 ing means includes a. zipper. V

3. The wrap set'forth in claim l'wherein said plies are of such dimension to extend'from below the ankle of saidlimb to above the knee of said limb.

4. The wrap set forth in claim 1 wherein said plies are formed of a plastic material adapted to coact with. the sweat produced by saidanimal to assist in maintaining said wrap 'in'position on saidlimb. I

"5. The wrap set forthin claim '1 wherein said formed of vinyl covered polyethylene.

6. Aleg wrap for an. equine animalcomprising: a first ply of flexible and elastic air impervious plastic material; I I

wherein said connectplies are a second ply of flexible and elastic air impervious 5. closure. means along opposite edges of said plies to permit encirclement of saidleg by'said plies and' securement therearound; and air inflation means in one of said plies and communicating with said air chamber forinflating said wrap to hold the'tendons of said leg against the associated bones of said leg and resist the tearing and separation of the tissue joining the tendons and bones, in said Clegand the resultant accumulation of body fluid. V 7. The wrap set forth in claimv 6 wherein said connect- I ing means includes a zipper. 1 I

8. Thewrap set forth in claim fi'wherein said plies are of such dimension to extend from below the ankle of said limb to above the knee of said; limb. j '9. The wrap set forth in claim 6 wherein said plies are formed of a vinyl covered polyethylene.

10. The wrap set forth in-claim 1 wherein said plies are of such dimension toextend over a joint in said limb. 11. The wrap set forthin claim 6 wherein said plies are of such dimension to extend'over a joint in said limb.

References Citedhy the Examiner V mnrap STATES PATENTS 1 3/74- Tallman 5482 438,105 10/90 'Geyer 54-82 665,530, 1/01 Johnson 168-2 3,153,413 10/64 Gottfried 128-165 UNITED STATES/"PATENTS D5 549,294 11/42: Great Britain.

SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner. ALDRICH F. MEDBERY, Examiner. 

1. A WRAP FOR A LOAD BEARING LIMB OF AN ANIMAL, SAID LIMB HAVING TENDONS CONNECTED TO BONES BY TISSUE, AND SAID WRAP COMPRISING: A FIRST PLY OF FLEXIBLE ELASTIC AIR IMPERVIOUS MATERIAL; A SECOND PLY OF FLEXIBLE ELASTIC AIR IMPERVIOUS MATERIAL JOINED ABOUT ITS PERIPHERY TO SAID FIRST PLY TO PROVIDE AN ELASTIC AIR CHAMBER; AIR INFLATION MEANS IN ONE OF SAID PLIES AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CHAMBER; AND MEANS FOR CONNECTING OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID WRAP AROUND SAID LIMB TO HOLD SAID TENDONS AGAINST SAID BONES RESIST TEARING AND SEPARATION OF SAID TISSUES AND ACCUMULATION OF BODY FLUIDS RELEASED THEREBY. 